


hand-holding and other lovey-dovey schemes (it’s called “fake it until you make it” for a reason)

by owlsshadows



Series: causes of ennoshita's premature hair loss [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-14
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-31 23:01:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20248078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlsshadows/pseuds/owlsshadows
Summary: “Before we meet up with them, there’s something you have to know.”“Yeah?”“My brother thinks we’re dating.”“What?!”“I know,” Tsukishima says, “it’s absurd.”In which Tsukishima and Hinata start (fake) dating.





	1. hand-holding and other lovey-dovey schemes

**Author's Note:**

> Here is my contribution to Day 3, which is actually Day 2, not to confuse anyone the slightest. I would like to let you know that I wrote this this afternoon and I didn't get to read back any of this, so apologies in advance if something doesn't make sense^^"

It’s two days after they had gotten their asses handed to them by Datekou in the March Regional Tournament – the second year in a row, nonetheless, with the only exception that this time they had met up at the finals instead of the first round – and Kei is finally at his wit’s end. He is torn between telling the truth, probably cursing himself for eternity, but at least the rest of his high school life, or lying to his brother.

Akiteru had caught on his feelings for Hinata back at the Nationals. He teased Kei after they won against Kamomedai, then told him off for not hugging Hinata after beating Fukurodani. Back in the finals, Kei lost his composure temporarily, embracing Hinata tight after that last score that had won them the tournament, ruffling up his hair and pressing a quick kiss on top of his head. No one noticed, not even Hinata. Yet Akiteru had come up to Kei after the match, giggling like a teenage girl, to share his hypothesis that Kei is dating Hinata, and that they keep it a secret from the team. 

It has been nothing more than Akiteru’s fantasy, and it couldn’t have been farther from reality – Kei is sure that in the eyes of Hinata, he is nothing more than an annoying guy – but to be entirely frank, Kei had found it useful. In the beginning, he let Akiteru believe in his conviction because if he thought Kei and Hinata were hiding their relationship, he didn’t tease Kei too much about his crush. And it worked. From mid-January up until yesterday, Akiteru was not really teasing him, only asking him a few questions about Hinata, most of which Kei could reply to by simply humming. 

He was not even lying, really. All he did was not denying this “relationship” anymore, and his brother was happy to be “let in on Kei’s secret”. It was harmless. Easy. If yesterday didn’t happen, Kei would still be a happy man. 

But yesterday happened, and yesterday Akiteru told him that the Small Giant would be visiting Miyagi the upcoming weekend.

“He even agreed to join us for a match,” Akiteru said between two bites.

“Isn’t that great,” Kei hummed half-heartedly, still unaware of his impending doom.

“You should join.”

“Hn,” Kei agreed, focusing on separating the different layers of his cake with the precision of a brain surgeon.

“You should invite Hinata too.”

“Hn. Wait, what?!”

“I know, you and Hinata try to keep your relationship a secret,” Akiteru continued, waving with his fork, “but I think it would make Hinata happy.”

Kei put down his cutlery, gulping down on air. It was clear for everyone and their second aunt that Hinata Shouyou would die to meet Udai Tenma again, especially if they could play volleyball together. As Hinata’s supposed boyfriend, all Kei could do was to agree.

Except, he was not Hinata’s boyfriend. The fact that his heart went crazy whenever he spotted Hinata’s orange head in the cafeteria or on the corridors during the day, that his breath hitched when he saw Hinata’s jump before a spike, that his thoughts were occupied with stupid thoughts which, no matter how hard he tried, would eventually always find their way back to Hinata, didn’t matter. He was merely a teammate to Hinata. They were barely on speaking terms.

“Yeah,” Kei said, looking away. “I will ask him tomorrow.”

“Great!” Akiteru smiled at him. “We could all grab lunch together afterward…”

Kei’s brain shut down then and there, and even after a sleepless night and a grumpy morning, he is not any more clever. As far as he sees it, he has two options. He can lie to his brother and tell him the weekend is no good for Hinata, or he could make an utter fool out of himself and tell Hinata about everything.

The first option would save him from all kinds of hassle, including any involvement of Hinata. Convincing Akiteru will not be hard – Kei just has to pout while he tells him that Hinata is not available, and his life can continue maintaining the status quo.

The second option is definitely the more troublesome one; Kei considers it outright suicidal to tell Hinata about the whole misunderstanding.

Even if he would feel guilty if he kept quiet about the Small Giant.

Even if he could make Hinata happy.

Every rational fiber in his body tells him to choose option one.

*

Shouyou feels a strong sense of déja vu – an expression Yacchan had taught him the other day – when Tsukishima walks up to him at the end of practice.

“Can you go somewhere with me?”

“Blocking practice?” he perks up, unzipping his jacket he had just pulled on.

Tsukishima presses his lips into a thin line, shaking his head the slightest. “I just… want to talk to you about something.”

Shouyou studies his face for a while, from his small frown to the way his jaw tightens. He finds it curious, how Tsukishima almost seems… nervous. The – almost – forever stoic Tsukishima casts his gaze away as soon as their eyes meet, and bites down on his lower lip, something that Shouyou had only seen him doing when frustrated during a game. Seeing his teammate like this makes Shouyou’s heart tremble like a small bird caught in a storm.

To shake off the feeling, Shouyou jumps up and down.

“Alright!” he says. “Will behind the gym be good?”

Tsukishima nods, so Shouyou starts for the exit. 

He finds it hard to keep the carefree bounce in his steps, his knees weak from stupid, useless thoughts like how people tend to confess to each other behind the gym, and how Tsukishima wants to go somewhere with him to talk, just the two of them, and he finds it frustrating, because apparently, he had read too much of the shoujo manga Yacchan had lent him.

Shouyou walks up to a cherry tree in full blossom, the tiny bird in his chest struggling to break free from its cage of ribs.

“Is this place good?” he asks, turning on his heels.

Tsukishima, who has been following him staring at his feet so far, looks up. His eyes seem hazy behind his glasses as he nods.

“What do you want to talk about?” Shouyou asks then, thankful that his voice sounds more or less normal.

“I…“ Tsukishima starts, sighing heavily. “The Small Giant is coming to Miyagi this weekend.”

Shouyou’s eyes go wide with surprise, and his heart rate picks up with a new, different notion – anxiety gets replaced with excitement, the small bird stops struggling and soars to the skies.

“Udai-san is coming!” he repeats, vibrating with energy.

“Yes,” Tsukishima says. He looks straight into Shouyou’s eyes now, with his expression steeled. The only sign of his nervousness remaining is the way his hands shuffle in his pockets, but it doesn’t escape Shouyou’s attention. “There will be some kind of meet up with the old team, and then he stays for the weekend. On Sunday, Akiteru invited him for a practice match with his neighborhood association. My brother asked me to invite you too.”

“Akiteru-san thought of me?” Shouyou asked, touched.

“Yeah. Can you make it?”

“Hn!” Shouyou nods fervently until Tsukishima steps closer. Looming over Shouyou, his expression softens; instead of his usual smirk, he wears a smile that’s almost sad. “Wha–what?” Shouyou asks, backing up until his heels meet the trunk of the tree.

“Before we meet up with them, there’s something you have to know.”

“Yeah?”

“My brother thinks we’re dating.”

“What?!”

“I know,” Tsukishima says, “it’s absurd.”

“Why would he think so?” Shouyou asks. Confusion scrunches up his face, and he eyes Tsukishima with suspicion. “Is this some kind of prank, Tsukishima? Are you that unhappy about me going that you’re making up lies to frighten me off?”

Tsukishima looks at him with an apologetic expression. “It’s not a prank,” he says. “Believe me, I wish it was.”

“Then why?”

“Apparently it was Udai-san’s idea originally, but watching our games at the Nationals my brother got invested in it, and now he thinks that we’re in love but we hide it from the team,” Tsukishima speaks in a soft voice, blushing ever so slightly. “I think… I think they’re projecting their own love story on us,” he adds.

“Love story?” Shouyou breaths, eyes bigger than saucepans. “Were Akiteru-san and the Small Giant in love in high school?”

“It’s only my guess,” Tsukishima adds and grimaces a little. “I think my brother is still in love with Udai-san.”

“I see,” Shouyou says, nodding seriously. “But why didn’t you tell them that we’re not like that?”

Tsukishima makes a pained expression, one that makes Shouyou feel dumb for even asking. “I tried,” he says. “But my brother wouldn’t shut up and it was a pain in the ass…”

He halts, wincing at Shouyou. Suddenly it all makes sense; his nervousness, the sadness in his eyes, the way he bit his lip in frustration. Shouyou sighs, laughing at his own naivety, and decides not to read shoujo manga for a while.

“I see,” he nods again. “You gave up correcting him.”

“I’m sorry,” Tsukishima says through gritted teeth.

“Don’t be,” Shouyou smiles. “It must have been uncomfortable for you to be lumped up together with someone like me.”

Tsukishima doesn’t say a thing; he stares at his shoes as if those were the most interesting things in the world. If possible, his embarrassment is tangible in the air between them, drawing Shouyou’s hand up to Tsukishima’s arm to give him an encouraging squeeze.

“Thank you,” Shouyou adds.

“What are you thanking me for?” Tsukishima looks up, squinting at Shouyou like a wounded animal.

“You told me about it,” Shouyou replies simply. “You could’ve kept quiet altogether. Or you could’ve just told me about Udai-san coming, but not telling me about their misconception of us dating, which could’ve ended in a very uncomfortable situation for me,” Shouyou shrugs. “I understand if you don’t want me to go–”

“We could,” Tsukishima cuts in, ears burning, “we could pretend. Just for the sake of a day.”

“Pretend to be dating?”

“Yeah.”

“Would you… be alright with that?” Shouyou asks, uncertain.

“I think,” Tsukishima says, and he pulls out one of his hands from his pocket to fix his glasses, “that by playing against the Small Giant, you could probably learn a few tricks and the whole team may benefit from it in the long run. I don’t want to deny this opportunity from you just because my brother is annoying. They think we’re dating in secret anyway, so we wouldn’t have to do much…”

Tsukishima speaks fast, with a rapidly reddening face, and the small bird returns to Shouyou’s chest to flutter its wings hopefully.

“Alright,” Shouyou says. “If you’re sure that it’s not a problem with you… I would gladly go.”

“Thought so,” Tsukishima says, so silently that Shouyou can barely pick it up. “Let’s meet up at the station then,” he offers, much louder. “On Sunday. 9 am.”

“Sunday at nine!” Shouyou repeats.

*

The station is more crowded than Kei would like it, but Hinata’s orange hair is easy to spot, even among hundreds of heads, and Kei is tall enough that Hinata also finds him easily.

“Tsukishimaaa!” the small boy shouts as he bounces and stops in front of him. Kei looks at him, bursting with energy, and already knows that he is looking forward to a very tiring day.

“Hinata,” he greets in a much colder fashion, eliciting a pout from Hinata. “What?”

“Stingy,” Hinata says. “You’re supposed to be my boyfriend; did you forget?”

“We’re dating in secret,” Kei replies. “Me being cold to you is part of the disguise.”

“Meh,” Hinata makes an unimpressed sound, and he proceeds to grab Kei’s hand. “We’re supposed to date in secret from the team, not the entire world, am I right?”

Kei takes a long, calculated look at Hinata’s hand in his. He finds it quite fitting, much smaller and thinner, but still strong and warm around his own. But as much as he wants to hold it, it fills him with guilt to do so.

“What if someone from the team actually comes by?” he reasons as he tears his hand away. “I don’t want to make this pretend-play more complicated than it already is.”

“Hn,” Hinata says, warm brown eyes on Kei. “That makes sense.”

“We’re meeting Udai-san and Akiteru at the gym,” Kei changes topics quickly. “Let’s go.”

“Let’s go!” Hinata repeats after him, with the same never-ending energy that he greeted Kei with – as if his eyes on Kei just a second ago were not heavy with something Kei can’t quite grasp. They start walking silently, side-by-side, coats brushing against each other as they go. They exit the station by the time Hinata speaks again. “So… what are the rules?”

“Rules?” Kei sends him a side glance.

“How do we… pretend to be secretly dating?”

Kei shrugs. “I don’t know. For starters, I don’t want the other guys to start thinking that we’re dating, I tend to practice with them on the weekends–”

“You play with adults on the weekends?” Hinata cuts in, voice just as loud as it is doubting. “_The_ Tsukishima Kei?”

“Oh, come on now,” Kei says, and he bumps his side into Hinata’s playfully. “We both know that the Tsukishima Kei you talk about is no longer around.”

“Which Tsukishima Kei? Mr. Needlessly-hot-blooded-people-irritate-me Kei?” Hinata asks, making a bad impression of someone with constant constipation.

“I was not that bad,” Kei laughs.

“You were,” Hinata argues. “And you didn’t get that much better.”

“I must disagree,” Kei says. “I feel like I’ve become one of those needlessly hot-blooded people.”

“You’re still mean,” Hinata says. “You might take volleyball seriously now, but your personality is just as bad as ever.”

“Do you mind it?” Kei asks. “Dating someone with a bad personality?”

For a moment, Hinata’s eyes go wide, before a wicked grin spreads across his face. “My boyfriend,” he says, voice bubbling up with laughter, “might have a bad personality, but he is super kind to me.”

“Is he?”

“Yes!” Hinata replies. “He always looks out for me, he covers me from cars splashing after a rain, and he always buys me my favorite food.”

“You want free food out of this, don’t you?” Kei narrows his eyes in suspicion.

“Hahaha,” Hinata laughs in his face, “I may be!”

“Hmph,” Kei snorts. “Alright, then tell me your favorite food.”

“Rice with egg on top!”

“That’s not something a boyfriend would just buy you on a date,” Kei argues, bordering on laughing. “Can’t it be something more date-compatible, like crepes or a sundae?”

“I like sweets,” Hinata agrees, smiling at Kei brightly. “But I would fall for my boyfriend even more if he bought me something healthy after practice. That’s more thoughtful.”

“Now, do I get to be thoughtful?”

“You have to be!” Hinata laughs. “Otherwise, how did you make me fall for you?”

“I didn’t have to do anything,” Kei replies with a smirk on his lips. “You fell for my dashing looks.”

“I’m not that shallow!” Hinata exclaims, face reddening. “And what dashing looks, Stingyshima, have you seen yourself in a mirror?”

“Now, don’t tell me you find me ugly,” Kei says, lifting his hand over his heart theatrically. “You hurt me, honey.”

“Alright, you’re not ugly,” Hinata agrees. “But if we’re talking about dashing looks, it’s Oikawa. You would rather be… hm… tall?”

“Thanks for pointing that out,” Kei deadpans. “Is my face that bad in your eyes or what?”

“You have to admit that Oikawa is more aesthetically pleasing to look at.”

“Can you please stop comparing me to Oikawa?”

“Alright,” Hinata smiles. “You’re handsome. Happy?”

“Hmph. After all the talks about Oikawa this, Oikawa that… do you think it would make me happy?”

“You’re good-looking, Tsukishima,” Hinata says, and as their eyes meet, he blushes. “There! I said it! I’m not saying it again. But I didn’t fall for your looks only, I can’t have such a shallow motivation.”

“There’s nothing wrong in falling for someone’s looks.”

“Nah, you need more to make me fall in love.”

“So I’m a thoughtful boyfriend,” Kei shrugs. “How am I thoughtful again?”

“You… you look out for me,” Hinata says, nose scrunched up in concentration. Kei watches his face intently as if he could see the gears turning in his head, making up the image of the ideal boyfriend. “You know that I tend to run around after practice, so you make sure that I wear my jacket so I don’t catch a cold.”

_That really did happen_, Kei thinks with his heart throbbing a beat louder.

“You make sure that I drink enough water and that I stretch before and after practice.”

“Hn.”

“You leave me secret messages in my locker,” Hinata adds.

“Ugh.”

“What?” he looks up. “Do you have a problem with it, Stingyshima?”

“Do I look like a romantic to you?”

“No way,” Hinata laughs.

“Then, do you want your boyfriend to leave you lewd messages?” Kei asks.

“No!” Hinata replies, eyes widening. “Why? Would you leave lewd messages in someone’s locker who you’re dating?”

“I didn’t think about it before.”

“_Would you?_”

“Would you be happy if I did?”

“Hell, no!” Hinata shakes his head, on which his face unionized with his hair in color. “I meant small notes, like ‘don’t forget your lunch’ or things like that!”

“Nope,” Kei shakes his head. “Wouldn’t do that, not even hypothetically.”

“Alright,” Hinata shrugs. “Back to the topic. Why would _you _fall for _me_?”

“Because I’m morosexual,” Kei says unblinking. “I’m hopelessly attracted to your stupidity.”

“Oy,” Hinata elbows him in the side. “Take it seriously.”

Kei laughs, even if his side hurts from where Hinata tackled him and throws his head back. It’s funny, really, when Hinata asks him with such an open expression, and he really is, irredeemably, in love with him, not because but despite his idiocy. He considers making up lies and giving Hinata absurd reasons, but no matter what reason he comes up with, to a certain extent they all prove to be true, so he gives in, deciding to be honest about it.

“I fall for your determination,” he says. “I love you because you’re hard-working, sharp, and always keen to better yourself.”

“Wow, Tsukishima, you can actually say nice things if you try.”

“You’re also tiny and I find it cute,” Kei continues, lifting his arm to rest it on top of Hinata’s head. “It’s cute and comfortable.”

“Oy!” Hinata fights Kei’s hand off, but his anger quickly dissipates and he laughs with Kei.

It feels so absurdly natural as if they have been on good terms since forever. Kei leans against Hinata once again, teasing, and Hinata pushes back, fighting playfully. 

This is how Akiteru spots them, waving at them with a wide smile on his face. “Kei! Hinata!”

“We’re here,” Kei murmurs.

“Right,” Hinata nods, suddenly serious. “Secretly dating.”

“I really don’t think you have to do anything special,” Kei tells him.

“I get it.”

“Act how you usually do. You will make the entire team fall for you in a second.”

“Huh?”

“Make them concentrate on your play, so there’s nothing else to pay attention to, and we are good.”

*

“Hinataaa,” Udai whines, draping himself over Shouyou. “I admit you’re a worthy opponent, you have beaten me fair and square.”

“That’s not true,” Shouyou says, shaking his head quickly. “We may have won, but it was the team–”

“Hnn. You really are the Small Giant of your generation,” Udai smiles, his canine shining under the gym lamps.

Shouyou blushes from head to toe, mortified by the praise.

“Alright, let’s pack up,” says a tall guy, Akaizawa, who seems to be the head of their volleyball association.

“Good choice,” Udai drawls, untangling himself from Shouyou’s shoulders. Though he had been complaining just a moment ago how tired he was, he bounces over to the Tsukishima siblings in one big step, jumping the back of the older brother. “Tsukishima-san, I’m hungry,” he says. “Let’s go grab some food.”

“Alright,” Akiteru replies, his face flushing a bright red. “There’s a family restaurant nearby. Hinata, do you want to join?”

Shouyou’s eyes fill with sparkles, and he nods excitedly. “Yes! Let’s go!” he jumps up, lifting his bag by the strap.

“Don’t be so rash,” Tsukishima comes up to him, draping a towel around his neck casually. “Dry yourself off first, your hair is wet from all the sweat.”

_Is this him trying to be thoughtful?_ Shouyou wonders. It’s no different from usual, with the exception that Tsukishima’s words are devoid of venom. Now the words that usually sound so mocking come out as gentle, and suddenly Shouyou’s face heats up, ears burning.

“I would’ve done it without you telling me to,” he grumbles, hiding his blush behind the towel that smells faintly like Tsukishima.

_It’s bad_, he thinks. He could get used to it.

Flustered, he starts to dry off his hair vehemently, earning a chuckle from Udai and a few words of worry from Akiteru.

“You’ll tear your hair out like that!”

“I’m done!” he exclaims, pulling the towel down to his shoulders. “Fast hair-drying technique, Hinata-style!”

“Now, don’t make it sound like you’re a ninja,” Tsukishima laughs.

They pack up quickly, and Shouyou puts the towel in his own bag with the promise to wash and return it to Tsukishima on Monday. It tickles him inside, to have something on him from Tsukishima, even if he knows that Tsukishima would probably just wash it again once he returns it to him.

It only hurts if he lets his thoughts roam and wander, so he stops, focusing entirely on the present. They say goodbye to the others, and start walking up the road leading to the restaurant Akiteru selected. The older Tsukishima points at the sign then falls back to match his steps with Udai’s, who drags his feet, complaining that he is too old for so much physical activity.

Tsukishima snorts under his breath, only audible for Shouyou to hear, and the sound warms his heart. He could get used to it so easily.

He hums to silence his wishful heart, an off-tune song he doesn’t remember the lyrics to, swaying his arms wide beside his body, until his hand accidentally brushes against Tsukishima’s. He pulls back, but Tsukishima reaches for it, entwining their pinkies.

“It’s fine,” he hears his soft voice close to his ear. “Let them see.”

Shouyou squeezes on his pinky, pulling him closer. “I think Udai-san loves your brother too,” he whispers.

“Yeah,” Tsukishima whispers back.

“Do you want to help them?” Shouyou looks up, momentarily lost in the warmth of Tsukishima’s eyes.

“Oh no,” Tsukishima replies with a smirk. “Let them rot in their pot of mutual pining until they grow old and die.”

“So mean!” Shouyou raises his voice, laughing, and as he jabs into Tsukishima’s arm, his fingers hook into the material of Tsukishima’s coat, holding him still.

“Do you want to kiss?”

“Huh?” Shouyou asks back disbelieving.

“Do you want to kiss?” Tsukishima asks again, voice all but a whisper, as he ducks down, nose brushing against Shouyou’s.

Shouyou barely has to lift his chin for their lips to meet. He closes his eyes, lost to the sensation of Tsukishima’s lips, thicker and softer than he expected.

He could definitely get used to it.


	2. baking powder and other additives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for TsukiHina Day 4: Domestic
> 
> _“My brother told my mom about us and now she wants to meet you.”_  
_“Hello to you too, Tsukishima,” Shouyou grumbles, and he stands from his desk to close the door of his room. It’s bad enough that he fell asleep over his English homework, he didn’t have to be specifically wakened up by Tsukishima’s call._
> 
> In which Tsukki and Hinata's fake dating scheme deepens, and while they don't discuss a thing but makeout happens on the countertop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No reading back, no editing. It's fanweek time and we die like men.

Shouyou is roused from his sleep by the most annoying ringtone he could find on his phone – he set it for one very special caller from whom he did not really expect any calls. To get one, the next day after they had exchanged numbers even, makes him feel queasy.

He picks up the phone, lifting his head from the notebook his face is stuck on.

“H–”

“My brother told my mom about us and now she wants to meet you.”

“Hello to you too, Tsukishima,” Shouyou grumbles, and he stands from his desk to close the door of his room. It’s bad enough that he fell asleep over his English homework, he didn’t have to be specifically wakened up by Tsukishima’s call.

“I think the kiss was too much,” Tsukishima continues on rambling on the other end of the line, speaking fast and frantic. “It was a mistake, I shouldn’t have asked–”

“Oy,” Shouyou cuts in, angered. “Don’t you call my first kiss a mistake, Tsukishima you bastard,” he continues grouchy, then, after a sigh, he plops down to the edge of his bed. “Care to tell me what happened exactly?”

Tsukishima shuffles around; his long, exasperated sigh blowing through the speakers sends chills down Shouyou’s spine. “My mom was teasing my brother that I will find a partner before him, and he  _ had  _ to reply that I had already found one,” his voice comes through pained, but under the layers of frustration and annoyance, Shouyou can also feel a hint of regret. “My mom got super excited and started nagging me about it. I swear I was trying to avoid it being more complicated than as it is already, but Akiteru  _ had  _ to mention our kiss and… now I want to murder my brother, but also my mom wants to meet you.”

“Wow.”

“Thanks for summarizing it,” Tsukishima snorts.

“So?” Shouyou asks, pulling his legs up in his lap. “What do you want to do now?”

“We could break up,” Tsukishima offers, and Shouyou feels that his heart skips a beat. 

He doesn’t want to admit it; not to himself, and definitely not to Tsukishima, but he likes pretending to be secretly dating. He enjoys talking about hypothetical scenarios with Tsukishima, even if he knows that in real life, he has absolutely no chance at the tall middle blocker. He likes that when they pretend in front of Akiteru, Tsukishima is openly kind to him. 

He noticed Tsukishima’s kindness before: when he had sneaked into the Miyagi Camp last year, Tsukishima tried to get him involved by inviting him to blocking practice. When they faced off Bokuto in the semi-finals of the Nationals and he felt down Tsukishima gave him a surprise pep-talk. And when they had won… 

Shouyou blushes as he rolls to his side, pulling the phone closer to his ears. He is not even sure whether it happened or he had imagined it anymore. It may have been his fatigue playing tricks on him, but he remembers Tsukishima ruffling his hair up, planting a kiss over the spot he usually abuses on top of Shouyou’s head.

He doesn’t want to break up with Tsukishima. Not even if they are only faking to be dating in secret. He opens his mouth to reply to Tsukishima’s suggestion, but no voice comes out.

Instead, Tsukishima speaks up on the other side of the line. “Or you could come over and visit. If you want.”

“Yeah,” Shouyou replies, maybe a little too fast.

*

Kei chose a weekday afternoon to invite Hinata, precisely because he knew Akiteru will not be around. This doesn’t make their life that much easier – his mom could be really nosy if she wanted – but at least if Hinata visited on a weekday after practice, that meant that he wouldn’t stay longer than 2-3 hours at Kei’s place, which should put Kei’s mind at ease… Except, he feels like he could explode any second now, walking home with Hinata by his side. The shrimp looks excited, skipping and humming, smiling up at Kei at regular intervals.

“What?” he feels compelled to ask.

“Nothing,” Hinata hums in reply. “I’ve just been wondering… we don’t have to be lovey-dovey in front of your mom, but should I call you by your name?”

“What else do you want to call me, sweetheart?” Kei grumbles, scrunching up his face in disgust.

“I meant by your first name,” Hinata replies.

“Why?”

“I just feel… that if I were to date someone for real, I would call them on their first name.”

“Hn,” Kei hums, tearing his eyes away from Hinata. He takes a quick look at himself in the reflection of a shop, trying to gauge how visible his blush is. “That sounds fine.”

“Right?” Hinata replies. Kei can see his beaming smile in the reflection, trailing after his much taller figure.

“Do you want me to call you Shouyou, then?” he asks, turning his attention back to the real thing. Hinata reddens from the top of his head to the neckline of his hoodie.

“That’s the idea!”

“Shouyou,” Kei says it. Then, leaning closer, he uses a sultry tone to repeat it.

“KEI!” Hinata shouts in reply as he retreats a few steps, and Kei is not entirely sure whether his name was not used as a synonym for ‘don’t come any closer’. He smiles, apologetically, and continues to walk on ahead.

“We’re almost there,” he says. “You better practice it, the way you say my name sounds a little… forceful.”

“Kei!” Hinata exclaims, taking a few quick steps to catch up to Kei.

“I hope you don’t want to scream my name at the top of your lungs every time,” Kei laughs.

“Only if I have reason to!”

“Like?”

“Like when you tease me!”

“I will refrain from teasing you in front of my mom, then.”

“You swear?”

“I swear.”

“Hm,” Hinata sends him a glance, lips pursed and eyes squinting with suspicion.

“You don’t trust me?”

Hinata examines him a bit longer. His ridiculous expression slowly melts off his face to be replaced with something warmer, if still a little doubtful.

“I will see for myself,” he says finally, then he lifts his arm, holding it out in front of Kei. “Since we are almost there, do you want to hold hands?”

Kei could reason why it’s not necessary. He doesn’t.

He reaches out, grabbing Hinata’s hand.

*

Tsukishima’s mother is taller than Shouyou. On one hand, he would’ve been a little worried if she was a petite woman, giving birth to two giraffes like Akiteru and Kei. On the other hand, Shouyou feels it a little bit humbling, looking up to the mom of his fake-secret-boyfriend. She is also sweet, greeting Shouyou with a hug. The warm welcome calms his heart a bit, and he eases into a carefree smile fast enough.

Tsukishima’s mom brings them tea and they settle down in the living room – Tsukishima’s mom sitting on one of the luxurious-looking light beige sofas, Shouyou and Kei on the other. Shouyou tries to position himself in a way that doesn’t seem inappropriate but also not awkward. He settles for a distance the span of his hand between him and Tsukishima. They talk, mostly about school and volleyball, and Shouyou soon forgets about himself as he finds an active listening partner in Tsukishima’s mom. Knowing Tsukishima, Shouyou is almost entirely certain that he barely talks about the club at home, so he takes the time to introduce their teammates to Tsukishima’s mom, describing them and their playstyle in detail, same as their opponents.

He is so immersed in the – mostly one-sided – conversation that he barely registers when Tsukishima curls his fingers around his wrist; he brushes against Tsukishima’s knuckles on instinct rather than as a conscious action. He only realizes what he had done when Tsukishima goes suddenly rigid by his side.

“Mom,” Tsukishima says, squeezing Shouyou’s hand in his. “Do we have cookies?”

“Cookies?” his mother blinks in surprise. “I don’t think so. Do you want some?”

“Nah, I just thought…” Kei trails off, waving with his free hand vaguely.

“I can make some,” his mother offers. “Actually, I’m sorry for holding you up like this,” she laughs. “Hinata-kun’s stories are so entertaining I totally forgot that you would probably want some time alone. You should go ahead to your room, I will make some cookies and bring them up later?”

“We can make them!” Tsukishima jumps up suddenly, pulling Shouyou after him as he marches into the kitchen with a beet-red face.

“Um,” Shouyou starts once Tsukishima let go of his hand. He feels a little lost, watching over a frantic looking Tsukishima who opens random parts of the kitchen cabinet and rummages through different shelves, grabbing random ingredients, flour, eggs, baking powder. Shouyou has never made cookies on his own before, therefore he is not entirely sure how he could help, but rather, the thought that occupies his mind is a different one. “Why are we making cookies so suddenly?” he asks.

To this question, Tsukishima freezes mid-movement, turning his head slowly in Shouyou’s direction. He seems tired, which, after school and practice would be perfectly understandable, especially for a person with such low stamina as Tsukishima, but the fatigue is in his eyes, not his body; as if his soul was the one that needed a rest. The way he looks makes Shouyou want to walk up to him and hug him, but the look he gives him renders Shouyou still. Fighting with a grimace, Tsukishima’s face contorts for a second before he lets out a long, tired sigh. “Because if we went to my room I’m afraid I would attack you,” he says.

“Attack me?” Shouyou asks, eyes widening. “Do you want to fight?”

“I want to hold you in my arms, idiot.”

“Like… erotically?” Shouyou steps closer, dumbstruck.

“Ugh,” Tsukishima shrugs.

“Why?”

“What why?”

“Why do you want to hold me?”

“Do you really need me to explain this to you?” Tsukishima asks with a pained expression on his face.

“I don’t understand,” Shouyou shakes his head. “It would make sense if it was the other way around, but why would  _ you  _ want to attack  _ me _ ?”

“Why, would  _ you  _ want to attack me?!” Tsukishima asks back, voice high pitched.

“Yes!” Shouyou says before he could stop himself. Then, as momentary hesitation hits him a second later and he stops to think, he realizes that he has no reason to stop himself. If Tsukishima wants him, he has no reason to pretend that the feeling is not mutual. “I would!”

“Shit,” Tsukishima comments.

Their eyes meet first because Tsukishima needs to cross the kitchen before he could draw Shouyou in his embrace. As far as attacks go, Shouyou is pleasantly surprised to feel Tsukishima’s lips on his forehead – he had braced himself for hot, fueled makeouts. Tsukishima’s onslaught is meek in comparison, his arms around Shouyou gentle. He pecks Shouyou’s forehead first, then his nose, finally meeting his lips in a soft, lingering kiss. Shouyou can feel the tension leave Tsukishima’s body as he returns the kiss, pressing against Tsukishima’s lips and hooking his arms around the taller boy’s neck.

“I’m sorry for saying that the kiss was a mistake,” Tsukishima says once they part.

“Hn,” Shouyou replies, chasing Tsukishima’s lips down for another kiss. “You’re not forgiven.”

*

On any other day, Kei would pride himself in his cookie-making skills. He’s been honing the fine art of baking sweets ever since the beginning of middle school, when he had first tasted strawberry shortcakes at a friend’s birthday party – yes, the friend was Yamaguchi, his one and only friend, so what – and soon he realized that his new favorites were not as easy to make as he thought.

On any other day, he wouldn’t fumble when cracking the eggs, getting pieces of the shell in the dough, and he wouldn’t burn half of the cookies because he had forgot about them.

But today, he has Hinata “The Freakish Number Ten” Shouyou, the freakishly athletic, crazy determined volleyball maniac over, and Kei had difficulties to concentrate from the very beginning. Hinata would watch over his shoulder, tiptoeing all the while, making excited and amazed little sounds that had driven Kei nuts. He could barely keep it together not to shut Hinata up so many times, so it had only been natural that he lifted Hinata up on the flour-dusted countertop as soon as the cookies were in the oven.

With Hinata’s legs around his waist, his hands around his neck and lips on his lips, Kei loses his sense of time, only recognizing that he had cookies in the oven once the smell of something burnt reaches his nose.

It’s a rush, really, chaotic and undignified, as he lifts Hinata off the counter with a yelp and places him down like a big sack of flour before he runs to the oven to salvage the cookies as much as possible. It’s bad for his pride, and he burns bright as he opens the windows quickly to fam out the smoke and smell, but the bubbling laughter that accompanies his emergency mission is the best, most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

“Oh my God, is any of it edible?” Hinata asks, gravitating next to Kei to peek under his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Kei states, assessing the damage. “They are all edible. Some might be a little bitter, though.”

“What will your mother think?”

“Nothing,” Kei says, face burning as sneaky little fingers crawl around his waist to pull him into a hug. “That we were distracted,” he modifies his reply, staring at the ceiling.

He wanted this. And he doesn’t regret one bit of it.

But damn, it will be embarrassing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... did this chapter go as I planned?  
No.  
Do they ever go as I plan them?  
Not really.
> 
> On another note, tomorrow I have a wedding to attend so I won't have time to write a new update, so see you around the weekend!


End file.
